Colombo's garbage mountains posing severe health risks

By Steve A. Morrell-December 26, 2014, 6:01 pm 

Professor Ken Kawamoto, here to study waste disposal and the operation of such disposal methods, spoke to the 'Fianacial Review last week. He is currently on a lecture tour and inspection of facilities for waste disposal installed by the Japanese embassy. His intervention was initiated by the Ministries of Local Government and Environment.

Kawamoto's general view was that responsibility for non-accumulation of waste and garbage within Colombo limits was moving to zero levels. He cautioned that if there was no tangible improvement in efficient disposal of waste, grave health crises could occur. The many people living within this garbage danger zone will be gravely affected.

Professor Ken Kawamoto of the Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Japan, visiting Sri Lanka over the past 10 years said, irrespective of his visits and his information to the Ministy of Local Government and Ministry of Environment, little or no action was taken to adhere to basic garbage disposal methods.

Daily discharge of waste in Colombo was 1.5 Kilos per day, per capita. Therefore, 10,000 persons build 15 tons waste and garbage per day.

Professor Kawamoto said he stressed on the ministries the urgency of efficient waste disposal. Heat build-up at the base of such waste dumps, mixed with toxic gasses, will in time cause explosions and release poisonous gasses to the atmosphere. ‘Has this happened?’ ‘A direct question like that is not easy to answer but let me tell you that possibilities are doubled unless precautionary methods are taken quickly, Kawamoto said.